


Claustrophobia

by Jinx72



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Claustrophobia, Gen, Hide and Seek going a wee bit wrong, Lucio needs a hug, Panic Attacks, Same old same old, Trapped in a wardrobe, small spaces
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 15:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14621559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jinx72/pseuds/Jinx72
Summary: He had never regretted anything more in his life, and after some of the things he'd accomplished, that was saying something.Hide and seek sounded like fun, even if the average age of everyone on base was closer to the average school teacher than the average kid. He'd tried to argue good-naturedly. The fact they were up against ex-black ops agents and a couple of literal ninjas and thus this was unfair was breezed over quicker than he could blink. Before he knew it, Reinhardt was standing in the corner, covering his eyes and counting down from fifty loudly. It almost felt like it had an air of finality.





	Claustrophobia

**Author's Note:**

> This was based off a prompt from our creative writing club, where we were given some words, and had to write something based off one of them. I chose 'claustrophobia.'  
> Quick disclaimer; I do not have claustrophobia. I do not know what it's like. Even though I did my best to portray it in a narrative sense, this is most likely inaccurate.  
> Thank you, and enjoy.

He had never regretted anything more in his life, and after some of the things he'd accomplished, that was saying something.  
Hide and seek sounded like fun, even if the average age of everyone on base was closer to the average school teacher than the average kid. He'd tried to argue good-naturedly. The fact they were up against ex-black ops agents and a couple of literal ninjas and thus this was unfair was breezed over quicker than he could blink. Before he knew it, Reinhardt was standing in the corner, covering his eyes and counting down from fifty loudly. It almost felt like it had an air of finality. He tried to go sit down with Zenyatta, who wasn't participating, but his best friend Hana grabbed his arm. "C'mon, Lúcio!" she grinned. "I know the _perfect_ place."  
And before he could protest, she dragged him out the room.  
Down the hall, through a few doors, Lúcio couldn't keep track of where they were going over the rising bubble of anxiety in his chest. He told himself to breathe, even as Hana pulled him into a small, dusty room and closed the door firmly behind them. The air swirled with disturbed dust. He couldn't _breathe-_  
Hana was too excited to notice him fighting his breathing, but turned back when he straightened up. "In here!" she hissed, gesturing at an old wardrobe.  
No.  
No, no, no.  
He began to back away towards the door, a hand behind him reaching for the handle. "I, uh, don't want to ruin your hiding place, dude," he told her, his voice shaky. "I'll find somewhere else to hide."  
Hana pouted at him. "Aw, c'mon Lúce," she said. "We're giving up not having to cook for a week!"  
Oh. That's what they were doing this for. He had been so caught in his head, he hadn't heard the prize over his thoughts.  
Lúcio grinned at her nervously. She put her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow.  
Lúcio's face fell. He sighed. She wasn't going to take him seriously until he explained, so he might as well put his weakness out there now-  
Hana launched forward and grabbed his hand, and pulled him into the wardrobe.  
As Lúcio hit the back wall with a _thud,_ Hana pulled the door closed, engulfing them in darkness.  
No.  
No, no, no, no, _no._  
He felt around, trying to find the door, but Hana pulled them down to sit on the floor, obviously setting up for the long game. The walls were closing in. Lúcio's breathing picked up. He curled in on himself and pressed his hands to his mouth, frantically trying to calm himself.  
_The walls were closing in, oh god._  
"Ha, they'll never find us here!" Hana chirped triumphantly, albeit hushed. He couldn't find it in himself to reply.  
"Lúcio?"  
What was the wet stuff dripping onto his shirt? What was in there with them?  
"Lúce?"  
Hana fumbled in the dark for her phone, and unlocked it. Quickly switching on the torch, she gasped in shock when the light fell on the Brazilian revolutionary hero. "Lúcio!" He dropped his head into his knees, trying desperately to control his hyperventilation. "Oh my god, what's wrong?!" Hana exclaimed, shifting to her knees protectively. He couldn't get a word out, he couldn't-  
"Oh," Hana murmured, in realisation. _"Oh."_  
He didn't want her pity.  
"Oh my god, Lúce, I'm _so_ sorry."  
"Just get me out of here," he choked out.  
Hana shot to her feet and tried to open the door.  
It didn't budge.  
She tried again. It had locked behind them.  
Lúcio gasped deeply, his fingers laced into his dreadlocks, and tried again to calm himself.  
"Oh my god, what do I do? I'm so, so, sorry." Hana was panicking. It wasn't her fault, she didn't know. Or was it? He wasn't thinking about that right now. He just needed _out._  
"C-call Rein," he mumbled. His voice was weak, and nearly drowned out by Hana's useless thumping on the wardrobe door. Hana went still immediately. "What?" she asked, eyes wild.  
_"C-call Reinhardt,"_ he forced out again.  
A sliver of relief dug its heels into Lúcio's chest as the panicked fog in Hana's eyes cleared, her face lit up, and she began to tap hurriedly at her phone screen. He buried his head in his knees, praying to any gods who would listen for salvation. "Hi, Rein. Yeah, I know, I know, but I need you to come save us."  
Lúcio's ears strained to hear the man's reply from the other end. "Please, I pushed Lúcio and me into a cupboard for a hiding spot and it locked behind us and _Lúcio's claustrophobic and we can't get out._ Please, Rein, I don't care about the game, please come help us," Hana babbled, her hand raking through her once stylised hair in a stressed frenzy. "W-we're... We're... Where are we?" she gasped, eyes wandering in the darkness as she fought through her panic to recall. "We're in an older part of the Watchpoint. We turned left out of the barracks."  
Lúcio looked up as she nodded. "Yeah, there."  
Hope was beginning to raise its head. "A-and we went down a long corridor and there's a small room with like, nothing in it. I think it was an office or something but it was full of old furniture. We're, um, in a wardrobe. It might've been the fourth or fifth door? It was on the left."  
Hana bobbed down, smiling widely at Lúcio, angling the phone so he could hear Reinhardt's reply. _"I know exactly where you are."_ He sounded serious. In battle mode. _"Hold on tight, I'm on my way."_  
"Thank you," Hana gushed. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you."_  
As Reinhardt ended the call, Hana sat down beside Lúcio, setting her phone down on the floor so they could see. Lúcio did his best to still his shaking hands. "Th-thanks, Hana," he said, mumbling into his knees. He didn't want to look around. If he didn't, he could almost pretend he was somewhere else. "Don't thank me," Hana said dully. "It's all my fault." Lúcio shook his head, but didn't turn to meet her eyes, keeping his gaze focused on the hem of his shorts. "I should've said."  
"That's why you didn't want to try my MEKA," Hana realised quietly. Lúcio let out a tiny, bitter laugh.  
"I know that you don't just let people do that, and I'm honoured, really, I am, but I just couldn't do it," he said quietly.  
"I don't expect you to," she rebuked. "I..."  
"If you apologise again, I swear you'll be cooking by yourself," Lúcio threatened weakly, doing his best to smile. To his relief, it eked a smile out of the mech pilot. Lúcio tried not to acknowledge the walls. He buried his head in his knees again. They sat in silence for a minute or two. Hana watched dust motes swirl in the torch light, thoughts tumbling and whirling in her skull, before she gathered her courage, sucking in a lungful of air, and quietly asked, "Will it help if I hold you?"  
Lúcio's head snapped up. Hana flushed. "I-I mean, do you want to be touched? Can I? Um-"  
Silently, Lúcio leaned over and rested his head on Hana's shoulder, curling up at her side. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on the crown of his head. "He'll be coming," she promised.

A timeless while later, they heard thundering footsteps, and a crash as a door was thrown open. "Hana? Lúcio?"  
Lúcio let out a sob of relief and Hana began to shout back. "In here!"  
"Ah ha! I've found you!" Reinhardt shouted enthusiastically. They could hear his heavy footfalls cross the room.  
The door rattles on its hinges as he tried to open it, on the off chance it was unlocked from his end.  
Lúcio tried not to freak out as the door didn't open. He tried not to imagine being trapped here forever. He buried his head in Hana's shoulder as Hana drew him in tighter. Reinhardt cursed loudly in German, and they heard someone tell him off for profanity. "Ach, that is not the problem now," Reinhardt shot back. "Stand back, and you two, sit back. I'm going to pull the door off."  
And, well, he did.  
He ripped the door clean off, and threw it to the side with a crash.

Lúcio had never been more happy to see the giant, elderly German man in his life. He scrambled to his feet, helping Hana out, and threw himself at the Crusader in desperate relief. Reinhardt accepted them both into a hug.  
"Thank you," Lúcio gabbled. "Thank you! _Obrigado, obrigado, muito obrigado!"_  
_"De nada,_ child," Reinhardt rumbled warmly, effortlessly carrying them out of the room in his arms. The second person fell into pace next to him. Lúcio looked up to see Ana smiling up at him compassionately. Lúcio smiled weakly back, and buried his head in Reinhardt's shoulder. "I guess we're doing kitchen duties," he mumbled. "Sorry, Hana." Hana let out a bark of laughter and shook her head. "Not your fault. And cooking isn't that bad, anyway."  
"Just as long as you actually help me clean up this time," he grouched jokingly.  
Reinhardt carried them all the way into the communal lounge area where the game had begun with no argument from either young agent; Lúcio was too drained and Hana was content to just go with it. Zenyatta observed their entrance with a friendly concern. Reinhardt let Hana down, and placed Lúcio gently on a sofa. "Will you be alright now?" he asked, his one good eye twinkling with empathy. Lúcio flushed with embarrassment, but nodded genuinely none-the-less. "Thank you so much," he repeated. "It was my honour," Reinhardt replied firmly. "Now, we have a game to finish! If either of you wish to join us, more eyes are always welcome. Ana, come!" Ana laughed, and followed the man out the door. Hana watched them go, a wistful look hidden in her eyes. Lúcio smiled at that. "Go on, then," he told her.  
Hana shook her head. Lúcio laughed, now openly and amused. "I'm fine, Hana. And Zen'll keep me company."  
"Indeed," Zenyatta agreed, coming over and sitting on the sofa next to the DJ. Hana glanced between them and the door, before, seemingly convinced, leapt to her feet and rushed after them. "Hey, wait up!" she called. Half-way out the door, she hung there, and turned back. "Are you sure?" she asked again.   
"Of course, girl!" Lúcio reassured her with a wave of his hand. "Don't let me hold you back!"  
With a final pause of hesitation, Hana dashed after the elderly duo, leaving Lúcio and Zenyatta alone. They sat in silence for a moment or two. "If you do not mind," Zenyatta said, "I wish to meditate a while."  
"Go for it, man," Lúcio chirped, lying back in the sofa comfortably and staring up at the ceiling. He felt exhausted. Drained. His fingers tapped out a soundless rhythm as silence prevailed again.   
Slowly, slowly, his eyes began to drift shut. As Lúcio began to slip into sleep, a warm feeling settled over him. Zenyatta tilted his head to the side in the Omnic equivalent of a gentle smile. One of the monk's orbs of harmony floated serenely in a slow orbit around the DJ's head.  
A quiet peace fell across the room.


End file.
